Why it is important to decompress and how top agents do it

In the past few years, meditation and mindfulness have gone from niche interests to big business. In 2016, meditation became a billion-dollar industry in the United States. Last year, the number of meditation apps rose to over 1000.

It makes sense – as our lives get busier and more demanding, it’s more important than ever to be able to switch off and decompress. And as a growing number of real estate agents will tell you, training yourself to quieten your mind can have a big impact on performance and your general well-being.

Dean Berman, owner of buyer’s agency Berman Buys in Sydney, says he’s practiced meditation for the past five years, on and off. “I generally do it before bed, for 10 minutes, give or take. It’s a bit of a routine, it helps to clear your mind and finish the day on some clarity.”

His mind and body immediately feel more relaxed before going to sleep, but Berman says the benefits can be felt during the day, too, when he feels rested and generally more positive.

“I’ve always slept pretty well but I found there were times you’d go over what was on your mind during the day,” he says.

“With meditation it’s almost like putting those thoughts in the recycle bin.”

She does a 20-minute meditation before eating using the 1 Giant Mind app, which refreshes her ahead of the next round of appointments.

“Your mind is always active and always on the go, it keeps my mind a bit more balanced,” she says.

Brooks also practices Bikram yoga at Power Living Bondi on Monday nights, “to set the week up right”, and on Saturday afternoons. “It’s a good way to switch off from work and get into weekend mode,” she says.

Ben Handler, co-founder and CEO of Cohen Handler, is a slightly more devout yogi – he’s up at 5am six mornings a week practising hatha yoga.

“I feel amazing,” he says. “I feel very grounded in how I start the day, very solid.

“I think I’ve increased my level of self awareness and level of patience, and healthwise I feel a lot better.”

He also thinks yoga has helped with his productivity, concentration and decision-making, “just because the mind is not bouncing around so much.”

Handler also practises pranayama, or yogic breathing exercises, and recently attended an ayurvedic medicine retreat in India, involving lots of yoga and meditation and a body detox known as panchakarma.

“It’s two weeks of very clean eating, massages every day, and a series of enemas,” he says. “It’s quite a hardcore detox.”

Like Handler, Anton Zhouk of Buxton Balwyn has been practising yoga and more regularly, meditation, for the past five years.

Zhouk is a fan of the One Giant Mind app, too. He’ll either meditate in silence or use the app for 15-20 minutes before training or going for a run or walk, usually around 5am.

He started meditating 18 months into his real estate career, when work had begun to feel “a bit frantic.”

“I started with about five minutes and just kept building it up, and I love it,” says Zhouk, who meditates every day.

“It clears your mind, allows you to focus on things you need to focus on, and you feel a lot calmer.”

“Whether it’s a negotiation or a tough vendor or tough situation, you’re a lot more relaxed and not worried as much.”